IRGC Navy says more ships transiting Strait of Hormuz under its coordination

Iran reports increased ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz under new arrangements to facilitate transit via the key Persian Gulf waterway.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Wednesday that a total of 26 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.

The IRGC Navy’s command, which controls the Strait in cooperation with the Iranian Army, said in a statement that the ships that passed through the Strait during the period included “oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels”.

The statement said that all passages had taken place in coordination with the IRGC Navy, adding that the force had ensured the security of passage through the waterway.

It said transit is currently flowing through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the IRGC Navy, and after ships obtain permits from the force.

Strait of Hormuz now a 500-kilometer operational ‘crescent’: IRGC Navy

The scope of the Strait of Hormuz has been expanded, now stretching from the coasts of Jask and Sirik to beyond the Greater Tunb Island, an IRGC official said.

The passage of 26 ships marks a major increase compared to transit rates in the Strait since the beginning of US-Israeli aggression against Iran in late February, which prompted Iranian military forces to take control of the waterway and impose restrictions on shipping through it.

The restrictions have caused a major surge in international energy and commodity prices, as the Strait is responsible for a fifth of global oil demand.

Iran said after a ceasefire was announced to halt the aggression on April 8 that it would continue to control transit via the Strait of Hormuz by banning or restricting adversarial ships and charging tolls on others seeking safe passage.

The country has also indicated that it would be ready to reopen the Strait as part of a deal that ensures the permanent end of the US-Israeli aggression and lifts all sanctions and blockades on the country.

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